Average Primary Care Rep Gets 2.8 Minutes With Physician, According to Pharmaceutical Intelligence Firm Cutting Edge Information

Market Wire, April, 2008

Primary care reps have less than three minutes to sell a physician on a treatment, concludes a study released by pharmaceutical intelligence firm Cutting Edge Information. According to the study, available at http://www.PharmaSalesManagement.com , rep-to-physician face time ranges between one and five minutes, for an average of two minutes and 48 seconds.

With so little time to win physician buy-in, reps must make the most of each moment. To maximize the small window of time with physicians, reps often take creative and thoughtful approaches to their details. For example, top-performing reps review previous interactions with a physician and evolve their delivery messages based on that physician's history. By adapting their messages, reps are better able to meet each physician's needs.

Reps also use other tactics, such as building relationships with nurses and physicians' support staff members, who deliver key messages to physicians. Although physicians tend to work on very tight timetables, reps that build relationships with their staffs are often able to carve in-roads for themselves, even on days where doctors are booked solid.

"Physician access continues to be one of the top challenges faced by sales forces," says David Richardson, senior analyst at Cutting Edge Information and lead author of the study. "Now more than ever, reps have to make each second with a doctor count."

The study, titled "Pharmaceutical Sales Management 2008," examines pharmaceutical companies' sales investment, structure, strategies, and field tactics. Compiled from interviews and surveys with sales leaders at top performing pharmaceutical companies, the report allows drug companies to compare and improve their own sales strategies.

"Pharmaceutical Sales Management 2008" also explores the latest trends, budgets and strategies of top pharmaceutical companies. Key metrics in the report include:

--  Budgeting and Financial Support
--  Structure and Headcounts
--  Product Prioritization, Territory Alignment and Coordination
--  Sales Operations and Contract Sales
--  Training and Development
--  Sales Compensation and Reward Programs
--  Rep Activities
--  Segmenting and Targeting
--  Overcoming Reduced Physician Access
--  Optimizing Time Earned with Physicians
    

To download a free, online summary of this report, visit http://www.cuttingedgeinfo.com/pharmasalesmanagement/PH103_Download.asp#body .

CONTACT INFORMATON: David Richardson Email Contact 919-433-0216